Collapsible box.



' E. LENKE.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.II.19IE.

1,263,575. Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3 wuentoc ljwarJlenef am M @mi E. LENKE.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLacAmN FILED nEc.1|.19|.

1,263,575. Patented Apr. 23, 8.

3 SHEETS-SHEE LENKE, 0F CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 FRANK T.LAI-IEY, OF

AKRON, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Bpeciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2e, 191s.

Application iiied December 11, 1916. Serial No.\136,2,46.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LENKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cuyahoga Falls, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in collapsible boxes orshipping packages. The primary object of the invention is to provide abox or package, the side and end forming members of which are pivotallyconnected with the bottom member so that thebox or package may bereadily collapsed, when necessary and equally easily expanded to itsopen or operative position. More particularly the invention contemplatesa box or package comprising a bottom member having its marginal portionsprovided with means arranged to form pivotal connections with the sideand end membersto permit the latter members to be arranged in theiropenpositions to form the box or package and to be folded inwardly uponeach other in the collapsing of the box or package. Furthermore, theinvention contemplates so forming the pivotal connections between thebottom and side members that unintentional separation of said members isim ossible to thereby revent the accidental oss of any one of saldmembers, when fory any reason the box or package is :in its' collapsedcondition. VThe means employed for pivotally connecting the variousmembers of the box" or package to ether are supplemented by means to4provide nterengagement between tlie side and end memberswhen the boxtoi* package is in its vopen or expanded condition, to hold thesemembers in position and to stiffen and strengthen the entire device. Inconnection with said box or package a cover is provided which is soconstructed that when the box or package is in itsexpanded' oropenposition it constitutes ai closure member therefor and may be usedasa receptacle for the box 0r package when the'latter is' in itsvcollapsed condition.

With the foregoing and Lother objects in view', the invention consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of artsconstituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described andillustrated in the accompanymg drawings which form a part hereof whereinis shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to 66 beunderstood that changes, variations and modiiications can be resorted towhich 'come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

In the drawin in which similar refer- 60 ence numerals in icate likeparts in the different figures,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible box or shlpping packageembodying` the present invention shown in its open or expanded position.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l showing the box or shipping packagein its collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse, sectional 70 view taken approximatelyon line 3 of Fi 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 ta en approximately on line 4 of Fig.1.

Fig'iv is a, transversesectional view showing't 4e upper portions of thewalls 2 andV 3 75 with the cover or closure member in position therein.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View of the box in its collapsedosition taken approximately on line 6 of ig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 taken approximately on line 7 of Fig.2. K

i ig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 9,and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showin the 85 upper portion of coadjacentside an end members of the box, showing a means for uniting` Pthe twowhen the box is in its open or ex anded position.

`Re errin to the drawings in detail the box embodles a lower or bottommember 1 end members 2 and 3, side members 4 and 5 and a closure member6. The bottom member comprises a sheet 7 preferablyr of non-metallicmaterial such as wood or heavy cardboard and secured to the marginalportions rof which is an L-shaped reinforcin marginal angle memberpreferably 'formed ofzmetal andl comprising an upwardlyprofA jectmgportion or iiange 8 and a lower 100 portion or liange 9,4the yformerarranged in abuttin relation with the side and end edges of te sheet ofmaterial 7 and projecting upwardly therefrom and with the` part 9 arraned in lapping engagement with 105 the margine portions ofthe under faceof p nassaui strip 32, having a hinge forming portion 33 similarto thehinge forming member on the lower face ofA the member2, and it isarranged to coperate with the member 31 to permit the free infolding ofthe member 5. The upper marginal edges of the Amembers 4 and 5 areprovided with binding strips 34 and '86 respectively 4which are'similarto the binding strips 23 and 24. The hinge forming portiony 31 on theflange 8 which coperates with the hinge member 32 of the member 5 issupported by'meansor` aninterposed strip 37 of suitable material. Thelateral marginal edges of the side forming member 4 are provided withstrips 0f strengthening material, preferably of sheet metal, in the formof a right angle and designated in the drawings by the reference numeral40. These strips are secured to the member 4 by holding means such asrivets 41 and the member 5 is provided with a pair of similar strips 42for a similar purpose. It will be noted that the various members 2, 3, 4and 5 vary in their vertical dimensions, in that the member 2 is widerthan the member 3, and the latter is wider than the member 4 and themember 4 is wider than the member 5f so as to permit the infolding orsuccessive superimposition of the various members into the positionsshown in Figs. 6 and 7. When themember's 2 and 3 are swung or moved'toltheir open or expanded position they abut yagain'stthe rightangledreinforcing strips 40 and 42 on the members 4 and 5 and this engagementstiflens the general structure of the box when in its open position. Inorder't lock the various members in their open or expanded positionthere is provided on the inner marginal' portions of contiguous side andend forming members, a pair of complemental strips 50, each attachedtits respective memberstby holding means 51, and each provided with a-Iieye or a tubular inner end 52, so positioned that the tubular ends oncontiguous members may be in vertical registration when the members aremoved to their open position to permit the insertion of a pin or similarlocking means 53 therein as shown in Fig. 9, for holding the end andside forming members in their open or expanded position. I provide acover for the device which preferably comprises a sheet of suitablematerial 60 provided with marginal reinforcing strips 6l formed toprovide marginal channels 62 from which extend downwardly projectingouter ilanges 63. The channel formmg portions 62 are adapted to receivethe upper marginal portions of the members 2 to 5 inclusive and with theflanges 63 arranged in lapping engagement with the outer faces of thesemembers when the box is in its open or expanded condition. The flanges63 are of such width that when the box is in its collapsed position theflanges 63 will lap the outer faces of the flanges 8 and form a.telescopic engagement therewith for forming a completely closed packagewith the sheet 6() seated 'on the upper face of the member 5 as shown inFigs. 6 and 7. The box may be kept in its collapsed position by means ofa binding wire 64, as shown in Fig. 2, and the sides and ends may bekept in open position by passing wires 65 through suitable apertures inthe corner portions `or flanges 63 and the reinforcing 'strips 40 and42, as shown in Fig. 1. If desired, suitable seals 66 may be employedlfor preventing unauthorized tampering with the box, either when thelatter is in its collapsed 0r expandedposition. In Fig. 1 the positionof the end member 2, during its movement from its open position to itsclosed position is indicated in dotted lines.

I claim:

1. A shipping package in the form of a rectangular collapsible box`comprising a bottom, side and end members, an angle member havingl anupstanding marginal Harige surrounding said bottom member, a hingemember` forming strip positioned on the inner face of each portionofsaid flange, said hinge member formingl strip being hook-sha ed in crosssection :to provide` a rectangu ar channel arran ed inwardly of saidflange 'and having a ree longitudinal edge slightly spaced from'saidiflange, each of Asaid side 'and end members being provided on one Yedgewith a complemental hinge member forming strip, hook-shaped in crosssection providing-a rectangularA channel and arranged to interengage inone of the first described channels and thereby form a hinge connectiontherewith to permit the free successive infolding of said members intoparallelism with the upper -face `of said bottom' member and: ar @overfor said device arranged to form a closure therefor irrespective ofwhether the same is in its open or closed position.

2. A shippin package in the form of a rectangular co apsible boxcomprising a bottom, side and end members, an angle member havin an ustanding marginal flange surroun ing sai bottom member, a hinge memberforming strip positioned on the inner face of each portion of saidflange, said hinge member forming strip being hook-sha ed in crosssection to provide a rectangu ar channel arranged inwardly of saidflange havin a free longitudinal edge slightly spaced rom said flange,each of said side and end members being provided on one edge with acomplemental hinge member forming strip, hook-shaped in cross sectionproviding a rectangular channel and arranged to interengage in one ofthe first described channels and thereby form a hinge connectiontherewith to permlt the free successive infolding of said members intoparallelism with the upper face of said bottom member, and interengagingmeans carried by eendje-cent side and end members for holding vthe sideand end forming members in their open position.

3. A shippin package in the form of a rectangular co lepsible boxcomprising a bottom, ide and end members, en angle member havin anupstanding marginal flange surroun' ing said bottom member, a. hingemember orming strip positioned on the inner face of each portion of saidflange, said hing-'e member forming strip being hookshaped in crosssection to provide a rcctanguler channel arranged inwardly of saidfisnge and having a. free longitudinal edge slightly spaced from saidenge, each of said side and end members being provided on one edge witha complementel hinge member forming strip, hook-shaped in cross sectionproviding e rectangular channel and arranged to interengage in one ofthe first described channels and thereby form a hinge connectiontherewith to permit the free successive infolding of said members intoparallelism with the upper face of said bottom member, the hingeconnection of each superimposed infolded member bciug farther removedfrom said bottom member than the hi e connection of the next precedinginfolde member, to thereby rovide and compensate for the thickness o thepreceding member and permit the orderly su rimposition of said membersin paral elism, and a cover for said device arranged to form a closuretherefor irrespective of Whether the same is in its open or cosedpoitienpackage in the form of a rectangular c apsible box comprising a bottom,side end end members, enV `angle member having, en upstanding margine-lflange surrounding said bottom member, e hinge member forming strippositioned on the inner face of each portion of said flange,- seid hingemember formi-ng strip being hook-shaped in cross section to `provide airectangular channel arranged inwardl' of said enge and having a freelon-gtu ina-l edge slightly Seeed from said Hangs, each of said side anend membersbeing provided on one edge with a complemental hinge memberforming strip, hook-shaped in crees section providing a rectangularchannel and arran ed to interengage in one of the first descri edchannels and thereby form e hinge connection therewith to permit thefree successive infoiding of said members into parallelism with theupper face of said bottom member, the hinge connection of each,superimposed infolded member bein farther removed from said bottommemer than the hin e connection of the next preceding infoled member,t0l thereby provide and compensate for the thickness of the precedingmember and permit the orderl v superimposition of seid members in para1elism,inter engaging mea-ns carri-ed by coadjacent side and end membersforv hoding the side and end members` in their open position, `end ecover for said device arranged to form a closure therefor irrespectiveof Whether the same is in its open or closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWARD LENKE. Witnesses:

WM. Nnwnnnonn, J Esse STEPHENS.

like el Millar-lay Home@ for In cents auch; r umida@ the ot Nuits;

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